Southern College of Optometry formally began the next chapter in the institution’s 80-year history with a groundbreaking ceremony on Friday, May 11, 2012 to mark the start of construction on the college’s $9.4 million academic expansion and renovation project.

Members of SCO’s Board of Trustees joined other campus representatives, invited guests and dignitaries and faculty and staff for the occasion held at the edge of the college’s patio. Guests included representatives of the ophthalmic industry, local government and from the Greater Memphis Chamber.

“Today we celebrate our legacy, the idea of vision, and the vision of ideas, looking beyond today’s horizons to prepare our institution to meet the challenges and responsibilities of tomorrow,” said Dr. Richard W. Phillips, SCO’s President.

“This commitment to service, to lifelong learning, and to educating the best healthcare providers possible – these are the ideals that we will continue to embrace in these new classrooms and educational facilities,” he added.

Dr. John “Bucky” Gazaway, SCO Board of Trustees Chair, recalled how SCO’s 11-story tower was being planned when he graduated 45 years ago. That same foresight and vision will benefit future students and graduates to the betterment of optometric education, he said.

“I’m grateful that SCO is meeting that challenge of looking ahead and doing what must be done to keep us great,” Dr. Gazaway said.

Representing the Student Government Association, Sam Johnson, ’13, expressed appreciation to the administration and faculty for seeking student input on how SCO’s academic facilities could be improved.

Faculty Representative Dr. Scott Ensor spoke for faculty and staff. “We feel that when completed, this new building will be a great asset to our academic program just the way The Eye Center has been to our clinical program,” he said.

Board member Dr. Jarrett Johnson is co-chairing the “Envision Our Progress” campaign to fund the project.

“I encourage each of you to think about what you can do to help see this project to fruition, both personally, and encouraging others to do the same,” she said.

“We’re in this profession together, and working together, we will do our part to get SCO to the next chapter that awaits our institution’s great future,” Dr. Johnson concluded.

When completed in the fall of 2013, the new building will replace SCO’s old classrooms with an additional 23,015 square feet of space. Work will also begin on renovating the first floor of the tower to create a new area of consolidated pre-clinical optometry labs and a Research Suite. Formus Inc., designed the project, and Linkous Construction Company is overseeing its construction.

Alumni and friend support is actively being sought to help fund the project. Learn more here about how you can make a difference in the “Envision Our Progress” campaign.

View photos from the ceremony in SCO’s photo gallery.

A group of optometric educators and leaders in the vision therapy field collaborated over five years to author the first significant book dedicated to vision care of the patient with special needs.

Entitled Visual Diagnosis and the Care of the Patient with Special Needs, the book’s lead author and editor is Dr. Marc Taub, Chief of Vision Therapy and Rehabilitation at Southern College of Optometry (SCO). Dr. Taub also serves as Pediatric and Vision Therapy Residency Supervisor at SCO and on the college’s faculty.

His fellow editors include Dr. Mary Bartuccio, Assistant Professor at Nova Southeastern University College of Optometry in Florida and Dr. Dominick M. Maino, Professor at Illinois College of Optometry.

The book is intended for optometrists and other health care professionals, including those in occupational therapy, physical therapy, and speech and language therapy, as well as psychiatry, social work, pediatric medicine, ophthalmology, neuro-psychology, and special education.

The book contains a total of 31 chapters about various conditions affecting special needs populations, as well as chapters on treating different conditions. Many experts who work with patients who have Autism, Down syndrome, brain injury, and other conditions contributed to the book.

Also of note is the significant collaboration among optometrists to develop the content. Faculty members from a dozen different optometry colleges are represented in the book, published by Lippincott, Williams and Wilkins.

A significant number of SCO faculty, alumni and residency supervisors also participated in addition to Dr.  Taub, including Drs. Glen Steele, John Neal, Bill Kress, Pam Schnell, David Damari, Jim Newman, Dan Smith and Paul Harris. SCO-affiliated private practice residency site supervisors included Drs. Leonard Press, Brad Harbemehl and Dan Fortenbacher. Alumni include Drs. Jason Clopton, Angela Howell, and Ashley Reddell. Dr. Karen Kehbein, a former SCO resident who will be joining the faculty this year, also contributed.

Five current or past presidents of the College of Optometrists in Vision Development were involved, including Dr. Glen Steele, who also is a former Optometric Extension Program president. Dr. Taub also currently serves as editor of the Journal of Behavioral Optometry.

“This book represents just how much we’ve learned since the 1990s in areas such as autism, traumatic brain injury and learning disabilities when Dr. Dominick Maino published his noted book on special needs populations,” Dr. Marc Taub explained. “There was no textbook that brings all of this together under one cover. We’ve taken and expanded upon the knowledge in these areas.”

The book even includes an entire chapter on the multidisciplinary approach. “With special needs patients, you need so many people on the team to get the maximum benefit out of any treatment, so our book also covers this area,” Dr. Taub said.

The book retails for $64.95 via Amazon and as an e-book for Kindle and Nook readers. A book signing will be held at the College of Optometrists in Vision Development convention in October in Fort Worth, TX.

“I’m most proud of being able to bring together all of those people who are the best in their field to bring attention to the visual health of patients with special needs.”

For more information, visit http://www.amazon.com/Visual-Diagnosis-Patient-Special-Needs/dp/1451116683/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1336164760&sr=8-1

Southern College of Optometry President Richard W. Phillips, OD ’78, has been named to the Memphis Magazine/MB “Power Players” list for Higher Education leaders in the Memphis community. The spread appears in the magazine’s special May 2012 issue.

SCO’s fourth-year students recently took Part III of their National Board examinations. In this news blog, a couple of SCO students share how they prepared for this major milestone in their four years at SCO.

Marcie Daniel, ’12, Union City, TN
I was very lucky to be an intern at SCO during the semester that I took Part III of NBEO. SCO set up two “mock board rooms” that are IDENTICAL to the tiniest detail to the Charlotte, North Carolina site. From the computerized acuity monitor, slit-lamp with camera and recording gear attached down to the Opticide tray, they had it all for us to practice on at The Eye Center at SCO. They even allowed us into the clinic on Saturdays and Sundays so we could practice as much as we needed. They also had the IV/IM injectable arm and blood pressure arm for us to practice on so there were absolutely no surprises when we took the board exam. When I arrived at Charlotte to take the exam, we were able to familiarize ourselves with their equipment. Before starting the test, I quickly looked over everything just to make sure it was all the same; meanwhile, other students were nervously looking over the slit-lamp, acuity chart, and injectable arm for the FIRST TIME ever! They had never practiced using this equipment before! I couldn’t even imagine taking a test that important to my career without practicing on the exact equipment first! I am so glad SCO went to the extra lengths to get these practice rooms ready in time for us!

Heidi Fouch, ’12, Grand Junction, IA
SCO went the extra length in preparing us for Part III of National Boards. The mock exam rooms set up in the The Eye Center were identical to the rooms at the national testing center in Charlotte. Traveling and being tested in an unfamiliar area were stressful enough. I could not imagine also having to familiarize myself with all of the equipment on the day of the exam in the short time provided before testing began. When we arrived at the testing center it was apparent that the SCO students were more relaxed and prepared than the other students who were using every spare minute before the exam began to learn how to use the testing center’s equipment. These are the kinds of things that make me thankful and proud to attend SCO.

Brett Miller, ’12; Dunkirk, MD
Having the rooms to practice in was really helpful in preparing for Part III, because it had every piece of equipment found in the Charlotte exam rooms. Also, we had the exact same blood pressure and injection set-up as they had. I felt very confident with the exam room set-up, so during the twenty minutes they allotted us to familiarize ourselves with the equipment, I helped the other three students (from three other optometry schools) figure out how to change the size and orientation of the letters on the VA chart, where the filters were on the slit lamp, and how to set up certain aspects of the injection station. Fumbling with little things such as these during the actual exam could kill the amount of time you have to complete everything. The equipment was not completely new to me, which took off some of the stress that day.

In recent months, The Eye Center  began utilizing several new modes of technology to provide patient care and services. Eight iPads, one of the world’s most popular pieces of technology, are now being used in the Vision Therapy and Rehabilitation Service.

The iPads permit their users mobility and easier access to the Vision Therapy Program, including information sheets on techniques and demonstration videos. New Compulink screens were created, including the ability to look at the entire history of the VT program at once. The mobility of the iPad even allows patients to be checked in while waiting in line.

Elsewhere on the technology front, a state-of-the-art 52-inch touch screen Sanet Vision Integrator (SVI) is also being utilized in Vision Therapy and Rehabilitation Service. The monitor can be used with all patient types, including those with learning-related vision problems, tracking issues, and brain injury.

The screen is movable and able to be tilted or turned so the unit can be used with patients with mobility issues. Activities include hand-eye coordination, and other factors such as color and contrast can also be controlled. As VTR chief Dr. Marc Taub noted, technology is providing 21st century practitioners with more options for patient care than ever before!

A group of ten students was recently selected to be new SCO Ambassadors. Student Ambassadors play an important role at the college, hosting tours to prospective students and visitors, and representing SCO at important functions.

Those selected (with their home states and undergraduate institutions noted) include:

• Heather Atcherson (MD/University of Georgia)
• Brenda Flores (TX/University of Texas)
• Virgilio Gozum (TN/UT-Chattanooga)
• Lisa Ille (KS/Washburn University)
• Barbie Jodoin (AL/Mississippi State)
• Mark Miriello (NC/UNC-Greensboro)
• Scott Ronhovde (NE/University of Nebraska)
• Jordan Rothlisberger (AZ/Brigham Young University)
• Crystal Stone (KY/University of Louisville)
• Brittany Tounsel (IL/Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville)

Congratulations to each of these students!

Southern College of Optometry is proud to announce “Envision Our Progress,” a five-year, $4 million comprehensive campaign to support SCO’s newly announced building program and others initiatives promoting student scholarships and patient care.

SCO will utilize a number of funding strategies to help fulfill the college’s plan for the future. SCO’s Board of Trustees has allocated a portion of the funding necessary to complete SCO’s new building program. A campaign goal of $4 million has been set to help fund the full $9.4 million construction and renovation project:

• $3 million in capital costs needed for the new auditorium and classroom endeavor;
• $500,000 in scholarship support for students;
• $500,000 in clinical education and patient care resources.

Co-chairing SCO’s Campaign Committee will be Jarrett Johnson, OD ’90, and James  Sandefur, OD ’65.

“On behalf of the Board of Trustees, the administration and everyone on campus, we express our appreciation to these two dedicated alumni from Louisiana,” said SCO President Richard W. Phillips, OD ’78. “Their enthusiasm for this undertaking is inspiring, and we’re confident that with their leadership, our alumni and friends will join us in meeting this critical need that we’ve outlined in order to continue to lead the profession.”

An “advance phase” for SCO’s campaign is already underway. Members of SCO’s administration, Board of Trustees, Alumni Council and other alumni have already committed $1 million toward the goal. Alumni and other donor support will be essential to improving access to the unique expertise that SCO and The Eye Center offers to our students, our patients and our alumni through their outreach around the world.

SCO intends to provide regular progress reports about our campaign and construction/renovation status. Your support is needed to make this dream a reality. Your generous tax-deductible gift will fund initiatives that will solidify SCO’s competitive edge in optometric education. Your dedication to improving patient care and supporting student scholarships will send a signal that SCO is ready to stake its reputation on being the best college of optometry possible.

“One of the most inspiring things about SCO is that our students clearly see our potential when they choose to invest their four years and tuition dollars here in Memphis,” President Phillips said. “We’re envisioning giving our students the environment they need to succeed, one that equals our reputation for academic and clinical excellence. I know that together, we’re ready to meet this challenge.”

SCO has launched a new section on our website to provide alumni and friends with more information about the “Envision Our Progress” campaign.

Please contact SCO’s Office for Institutional Advancement at (901) 722-3216 or by email at ia@sco.edu for more information on supporting this new campaign.

Southern College of Optometry (SCO) today announced a $9.4 building project that will provide its students with new classroom facilities and state-of-the-art instructional space on campus.

The new building in midtown will be the college’s most ambitious since the construction of The Eye Center, the college’s public clinical facility, in 2002.

“One of the primary reasons our students choose SCO is The Eye Center,” said Dr. Richard W. Phillips, SCO’s president. “We intend to match the caliber of that outstanding clinical facility with a state-of-the-art classroom and instructional teaching building that will meet the educational needs of 21st century optometry students.”

SCO’s new building will be located on the expansive concrete patio space behind the college’s 11-story tower. Designed by Memphis-based Formus, Inc., the building will provide greater classroom space and flexibility, including enough room to accommodate campus-wide meetings or special events.

An atrium and grand hall will connect the new building to SCO’s existing tower, which was completed in 1970. Laboratory and other teaching spaces will be moved to the tower’s first floor in closer proximity of the new building to support the curriculum needs of SCO’s four-year academic program.

SCO will break ground May 11, 2012. The school expects the building to be ready for use in August 2013.  When completed, the building project will provide an additional 23,016 square feet of space. Primary construction will be headed by Linkous Construction of Memphis.

To finance the $9.4 million project, SCO has launched “Envision Our Progress,” a five-year, $4 million capital campaign. An advance phase has already raised $1 million for the project. SCO’s Board of Trustees will finance the remainder of the project through investments and cost-savings measures over the five-year period.

The comprehensive fundraising campaign also aims to improve scholarship opportunities for students and greater vision care access for mid-south area patients. Campaign goals include raising $500,000 for increasing scholarship opportunities for students and an additional $500,000 to provide more patient care opportunities in the mid-south, including school and other community-based vision screenings.

“Because the success of an educational program involves more than just a physical building, the college is committed to attracting the best students with this comprehensive campaign designed to improve our academic facilities, scholarship opportunities and patient care access,” said Dr. Phillips.

For more visual details about the project, view a gallery of design renderings below:

Visit SCO’s “Envision Our Progress” campaign site to learn more about the comprehensive campaign to support the building program, student scholarships and clinical education/patient care opportunities.

February marks Black History Month, and it’s a great time to remember pioneers who left their mark on SCO’s history. Here are some interesting facts put together by our faculty:

• SCO’s first African-American graduate was Algenon Dandy, OD ’75.
• SCO’s first female African-American graduate was Adedayo Olympio, OD ’83.
• Dr. Harlington Hanna became SCO’s first African-American instructor when he joined the faculty in 1977. He was also SCO’s first Chief of Services for Peds and VT.
• Dr. Betty Harville became SCO’s first female African-American instructor in 1984. In 2001, Dr. Harville became the first female faculty member to achieve the full rank of professor at SCO and at the same time, she became the first African-American female professor at any of the nation’s optometry colleges.
• Jarrett Johnson, OD ’90, was the first African-American SGA president at SCO. She now serves on SCO’s Board of Trustees.
• Stacie Travis, OD ’00, was the first African-American class president to deliver a commencement address.
• Linda Jackson, OD ’90, was SCO’s first African-American valedictorian.
• Dr. Linda Johnson, AOA’s OD of the Year in 2008, was SCO’s first African-American Board of Trustees member.

SCO salutes all of these individuals for their contributions to the college’s history and the profession of optometry.

Southern College of Optometry recently hosted its fourth annual State Day event that brought more than a dozen representatives to campus from state and national optometry associations. The event was designed to promote the importance of organized optometry to SCO’s nearly 500 optometry students.

Students heard a keynote address by AOA Trustee David Cockrell, OD, a 1981 SCO graduate. Panelists representing a number of state associations also participated in question and answer sessions with students. The panels allowed students to interact and learn more about the state of optometry and the need for students to get involved early in networking and becoming engaged with the AOA and their state associations.

The afternoon of SCO’s State Day is spent with a tradeshow format. State associations were allocated booths to provide information and meet one on one with students. A number of student clubs joined representatives from their home states at dinner to conclude the evening.

In addition to the AOA, representatives were in attendance from Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, and West Virginia. This year’s representation included three states that participated for the first time.

“Since we first launched this event in 2009, we’ve been pleased to see interest grow in facilitating these networking events both here at SCO and at other schools of optometry,” said Kristin K. Anderson, OD, SCO Vice President of Institutional Advancement.

“State Day allows our students the opportunity to interact and learn more about the benefits of involvement in their state, regional and national associations,” she added. “We appreciate organized optometry’s enthusiasm about our program as it continues to grow each year.”